Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Are you an internal or external person.


In order for a person to be successful in any endeavor, he needs to be totally and completely present. For a soldier to win, he can’t be distracted in any of his soul garments. Whether it is in thought, speech or action, when a soldier is engaged on the front, every part of the soldier has to focus on his mission to be successful. That means no Blackberries, iPhones, texting or multi-tasking.

Chassidim sing a meditative melody to prepare themselves to hear and absorb a mystical discourse. It once happened that they were singing this preparatory song quickly in order to already get to the intellectual discourse. Their Master addressed his students on the differences between the preferred and better, internal oriented person versus the inferior external oriented person. The Master explained that an internal centered person, even while singing a preparatory song, he is still totally and completely into what he is doing at the moment, despite anything or everything going on outside of the present moment.

A person who is completely immersed in the moment won’t just do things technically as an external oriented person. An internal oriented person is completely involved in the moment. He is therefore totally alive and enthusiastic in what he is doing since the act is not only on the outside for show but is internally oriented. This manner in doing things allows the person to have the greatest chances for success, since all of his faculties focus on the mission at hand. Doing something, and having ones soul in it, gives a person the greatest satisfaction since the person is at peace with himself and living harmoniously.

Once, a Mystic in the times of the Bolsheviks was being sent off to hard labor. Minutes before he was taken away, he was working on important documents and addressing issues, completely oblivious in his thoughts and actions, at that moment, that so much danger lay ahead for him. At another occasion, he explained that this is the secret in making the best out of a day and the most out of life ,to always be in the moment.

When a person prays, the Bible says all his thoughts, and of course his words and actions, need to reflect his desire and interest to connect with G-d. If while saying his prayers at that moment he entertains foreign and alien thoughts, thoughts that just don’t belong with the words and actions he is involved in, the words remain hollow and lack the thrust and engine to reach the heavens. For prayer to be meaningful and to have any significance, a person has to enter the words with his thoughts and soul and immersed in the words he is saying.

King Solomon says, “In all YOUR ways you shall know him,” and “all YOUR deeds shall be for the sake of heaven.” King Solomon is teaching us something very important. In all that you do, always make sure it is imbued and in line with your higher purpose --, that is the secret to success and deep soulfulfillment.

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